Expoflores and its role in the flower productive chain

Flower production and export is a business in Ecuador with tradition, there are regions likes Tabacundo which is considered the nations’ capital of roses capital because of their wide variety and quality. This labor contributes enormeously with Ecuador’s economy. This economy should be innovated everyday and labor groups are an important factor. Expoflores is a trade group representing Ecuador’s flower producers that is led by Executive Vice President Alejandro Martinez. The strategy behind Expoflores is to promote growth and expand the national flower-producers’ share of the global marketplace through the use of technological innovation and identifying opportunities for consolidating processes and practices. “We compete in a very big and very aggressive market,” Martinez said. “So it’s important to find ways to connect the consumer with the product to make what we do indispensable.”.

For Alejandro, Expoflores mission is strategic for the sector, being its function in the first place, the one of institutionalizing the business union. This association has undergone changes, adapting itself to the needs and growing in conjunction with the Ecuadorian business activity. As Alejandro expresses, this has not been a simple role, since the needs of all involved, including companies of different sizes and different types of farmers, must be considered. Moreover, “organizing logistics and commercial issues is not an easy task,” he insists.

“The flowers segment, was generating less and less consumer value, the flower market has grown very little,” says Alejandro, “The market for details is growing and the flower product market is not growing.” So connecting the consumer with The product in the sense of value, was transformed into something indispensable. “We compete in a very big and very aggressive market.”

“In Latin America and in Ecuador the role of an association is confusing, it must look beyond public policies and try to understand what the sector needs. In the sector there are actors who pull to one side and others to another. We focus on only one thing, and that is the product, flowers. That has been a differential, “concludes Alejandro. This is a very important step, not only in the flower industry, since it sets the basis for this same process to be carried out in other companies and exports. “The union needs go beyond particular problems and must have a view to expand and improve the processes of the industry itself,” he said.